BSc (Hons) Police and Criminal Justice Studies

Ready to make a difference? Police and Criminal Justice Studies is a degree for those with an interest in a policing-related career and the academic study of policing. It provides volunteering and work-based learning opportunities to put to practice the knowledge you gain from the course. We aim to provide you with an academically rigorous programme of study with plenty of opportunities to engage with the real world, developing skills and an employability profile to prepare you for your career.

You will benefit from practitioner involvement in teaching. You will be able to make the most of volunteering and placement opportunities. You will also acquire transferable skills equipping you for a career outside the criminal justice system. We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2018 return showing that 95 per cent of our students thought staff are good at explaining things.*

Key features

Career destinations include the police service, but also other criminal justice-related occupations and the private security sector.

Students acquire transferable skills equipping them for a career outside the criminal justice system.

Course details

Year 1

In your first year, you'll develop foundation knowledge of the role of the police service and the wider criminal justice system, interrogate theories which explain crime, criminality and deviance, and gain insight into the practical aspects of crime scene management.

Core modules

CCJS1112 Criminology and Crime Problems

This module introduces students to the subject of criminology. It emphasises criminology's multi-disciplinary and the different perspectives, methods and sources of information that it draws upon in developing theories about the different causes and problematizations of crime and deviance.

CCJS1115 Being a Criminologist

The module provides students with a grounding in the concepts, techniques, methods and skills necessary for developing a criminological analysis to crime and justice. Students will analyse key contemporary examples of crime, justice and social issues pertinent at the time which could include; murder, the war on drugs, police brutality and injustice within the courts. Students will assess the strengths and weakness of criminological and methodological approaches to understanding these examples.

CCJS1116 Crime in Context

This module provides students with an introduction to key questions in the study of criminology and criminal justice, providing them with necessary skills to be a successful and reflexive student of criminology. The module places criminology in the context of economic, political and social interpretative frameworks, and contributes to the creation of a criminological imagination. Furthermore, the module uses this basis to introduce students to theoretical discussions that critique and question the role and practices of the main criminal justice institutions in England and Wales in relation to historical perspectives, equality, space and place and social justice, more broadly.

CCJS1117 An Introduction to the Crime Problem Policy Process

This module introduces students to the policy process through which crime problems are constructed, comprehended, and responded to. It introduces and examines the diversity of roles performed in this process by a range of state and non-state actors.

CCJS1118 Forensic Criminology

This module introduces students to the processes, techniques and methods of criminal investigations from the crime scene to the courtroom. Important areas, such as crime analysis, crime mapping, forensic science and the use of evidence, are contextualised within the construction and prosecution of criminal cases.

CCJS1119 21st Century Criminological Issues

The module introduces students to the global challenges of crime and crime control. It does so by drawing on contextual examples of contemporary developments to the landscape of crime, deviancy, social problems, globalisation and criminal justice. Students will assess the strengths and weakness of criminological approaches to understanding these examples.

Year 2

In your second year, you will examine contemporary policing issues in depth and detail, and develop and apply practical research skills and critical thinking.

Core modules

CCJS2115 Crime, Theory and Culture

This module examines contemporary criminological theory and scholarship, providing a critical analysis of new directions at the forefront of the discipline. The module covers the intersections of criminology with contemporary social theory, communications theory, urban studies, international relations, cultural theory and zemiology.

CCJS2118 Victims, Victimology and Restorative Justice

The module examines criminal victimisation and the policies and practices that have been developed to aid them in the aftermath of crime. As well as a range of support approaches which are directed specifically to victims, the module also focuses upon restorative justice and the way in which victims may benefit from such practices.

CCJS2120 Researching Crime and Criminal Justice

This module describes and assesses the reliability and validity of the different methodologies and sources of information utilised in criminal justice research, focusing especially upon the collection and use of official statistics, surveys, interviews and observational studies. The module also provides practical experience for students in using specialist quantitative and qualitative computer programmes for analysing data.

CCJS2121 Policing and Community Safety

This module affords students an opportunity to explore, in depth, the structures, practices and key issues facing modern policing and community safety in the UK. It focuses particularly upon the police service, but also upon developments in plural policing, including the expansion of partnership policing.

CCJS2125 Prisons, 'Probation' and Penality

This module draws on theories of penality to analyse and evaluate penal policy and practice. In particular it critically examines contemporary issues, developments and debates relating to the use of imprisonment and community sentences for adult offenders.

CCJS2127 Policing and Security Studies

Security involves the enjoyment and protection of possessions and/or things of value, with Security Studies examining the social context for the policing of security and the measures that may be taken to maintain it. The module addresses different theories that variously explain the dynamics of the security context as well as the different ways that they suggest to achieve security. The module covers traditional state-centric theories of security, economic security (including the Marxist analysis), policing, and more progressive human-centric approaches to security. The various theories are applied to the context of the contemporary global age, with particular emphasis being placed on the connections between the global and the local security contexts.

Final year

In your final year, you'll complete your independent research-based dissertation on an area of policing of interest to you. You will also study specialist policing and criminal justice related topics and take part in a policing related work-based learning placement.

Core modules

CCJS3142 Criminology/Police and Criminal Justice Studies Dissertation

This module provides students with the opportunity to design and implement their own research project, working independently but under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

CCJS3173 Policing and Terrorism

The module critically examines the modern history of terrorism and the emergence of counter- terrorism policing, referring to some important cases studies of terrorist-type conflicts, and outlining a range of concepts and tools that may help understand the phenomenon better. A central aspect of the module will be the examination of terrorism and radicalisation from a distinctive security and policing perspective.

Optional modules

CCJS3141 Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies: Work Based Learning

This module provides students with opportunities to gain practical insights into the workings of criminal justice (and related) organisations, and to link such insights with criminological theory and knowledge. In addition the module will prepare students for the graduate job market and encourage their autonomous engagement in personal development planning.

CCJS3148B Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice

This module focuses upon a contemporary criminal justice-related issue that has received attention in the media and in official reports but may not be well covered yet in an established academic literature. The purpose of the module is for students to collect data on the issue and to subject it to a thorough criminological analysis, using the variety of concepts and perspectives covered throughout the degree programme.

CCJS3156 Criminology of War

This module explores the issue of crime in the context of war and conflict. Theoretical and conceptual understandings of crime, violence, victimisation and justice will be used to interrogate acts considered as war crimes. The module will address the history of crimes committed in war and will critically explore international criminal justice responses.

CCJS3158 Drugs, Crime and Society

This module critically examines the social construction of drug use and control in the UK and internationally, analysing the relationship between drugs, crime and society. A comparative approach will be utilized to explore the contextual dimensions of illicit drug use and control. Students will read criminological texts, engage with works from other disciplines and critically analyse non-academic sources, including popular journalism, internet sites and postings, and films.

This module responds to a growing criminological interest in the history of crime and punishment. It examines how attitudes towards crime and the punishments used have changed and developed since the 18th century. It introduces students to historical research methods by utilising both digital and local archives, and encourages them to research aspects from crime history and critically compare and contrast them with contemporary perspectives and criminological literature.

CCJS3166 Digital Crime and Deviancy

This module explores the issue of crime related to digital technology, in particular the Internet. It will consider how digital technology normalises and legitimises criminal activity, with a particular focus on harassment, sexual crimes and activities related to children and young people. The module will also consider approaches to tackling digital crime, considering legislative approaches contrasted against human rights issues.

CCJS3169 Green Criminology

This module explores contemporary developments within the study of green criminology, offering a theoretically informed understanding of key issues at the forefront of the discipline. Students will have the opportunity to study examples of environmental crimes and their harms, their regulation and their enforcement. Students will consider the importance of criminology to understanding the causes, impacts and futures of climate change, against a backdrop of global consumer capitalism.

CCJS3170 Deviant Leisure

This module explores contemporary developments within the study of deviant leisure, offering a theoretically informed understanding of key issues at the forefront of the discipline. Students will have the opportunity to study the changing nature of criminology¿s engagement with leisure against a backdrop of global consumer capitalism.

This module compares and contrasts youth justice policies and processes in a range of different countries. In particular, it analyses the impact of socio-political and cultural factors on youth justice debates from a comparative international perspective. This includes an analysis of the extent to which countries comply with international human rights standards.

CCJS3172 Critical Hate Studies

This module will present the problem of `hate crime¿ to students by identifying legislation, policy and practice that has been framed within its context. It will deconstruct the notion of hate crime and provide a critical reflection on the notion of `hate¿ and its manifestations in late modernity.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

88 - 104

A levels

88-104 points including a minimum of two A levels. Excluding general studies.

BTEC

18 Unit BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM–DMM in any subject.

BTEC National Diploma modulesIf you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.

Access

Pass a named Access to HE Diploma in any subject with at least 33 credits at merit/distinction.

For a full list of all acceptable qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding

New Student

2018

2019

Home/EU

£9,250

£9,250

International

£13,000

£13,400

Part time (Home/EU)

To be confirmed

To be confirmed

Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per a number of credits.
Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances.

Undergraduate scholarships for international students

To reward outstanding achievement the University of Plymouth offers scholarship schemes to help towards funding your studies.

Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies

Associate Professor (Reader) in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Lecturer in Criminology

Lecturer in Police Studies

Our student network is your business network for the future

It’s our students that make us different. Prepare to join a very active community of engaged students. In partnership with our people they are the driving force behind the University's internationally recognised focus on social enterprise and sustainability, as well as one of the best students' unions in the UK.

Faculty of Business Potential High Achievers Scheme

We recognise that our students are the future business leaders of the world. We know that our applicants will thrive in this environment, and we want to ensure our best applicants believe in this.

We will be contacting applicants who are not only on course to achieve top marks but who have an outstanding personal statement.

As recognition of the potential we think an applicant has we will then change their offer to unconditional. Your place at the University of Plymouth will then be confirmed and you can go ahead and make arrangements for your accommodation and move to Plymouth in September.